Central America


Streets of Granada, Nicaragua

Granada, Nicaragua

GRANADA, Nicaragua — With its colorfully painted buildings, cobblestone streets, and Spanish colonial architecture, Granada is a picturesque town that wears its history on its streets.

Parque Central at Dusk, Granada, Nicaragua

Granada’s Parque Central

GRANADA, Nicaragua — Parque Central is a hustling, bustling center of town. As in so many Spanish colonial towns, the park forms the heart of a grid that radiates out through the city’s streets.

Nave of La Capilla Maria Auxiliadora, Granada, Nicaragua

La Capilla Maria Auxiliadora

GRANADA, Nicaragua — La Capilla Maria Auxiliadora isn’t the grandest or most famous of Granada’s churches. But it makes a credible claim to be the most beautiful.

Altar Piece in Cathedral of Granada, Nicaragua

Catedral de Granada

GRANADA, Nicaragua — The distinctive yellow and white Granada Cathedral dominates the city’s skyline and is Granada’s most important of the city’s several churches.

Students at Mayan Ruins of Coba

Coba’s Mayan Ruins on the Maya Riviera

COBA, Mexico – You’d never know it today, but Coba, on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula, was once an important and powerful Mayan city. But it has long been in ruins.

Tikal Mayan Ruins and Morning Mist

The Mighty Maya City of Tikal

TIKAL, Guatemala —Tikal, in northern Guatemala, was once one the largest and most powerful of the Maya cities. Today it has been most taken over by jungle.

Chicken Buses Antigua Guatemala Painted

The Chicken Buses of Central America

GUATEMALA — Central America is where American school buses go to retire. In the balmy tropical climes of places like Guatemala and Honduras, they’re given a new, colorful lease on life.

Flores Guatemala Boys Fishing From Canoe on Lake

A Caribbean Island 100 Miles from the Sea

FLORES, Gutemala — I’m on a real Caribbean island. But it’s 100 miles from the sea. Flores is a tiny island village in Guatemala’s Lake Peten Itza. It makes for a convenient jumping off point for visiting the nearby Maya ruins of Tikal.

Pacaya Volcano Tour Group at Summit

Pacaya Volcano, Guatemala

ANTIGUA, Guatemala — Just outside Antigua, Pacaya is one of several active volcanos that make up the Central American Volcanic Arc.

Photo of Tulum Beach at Mayan Ruins on Mexico's Mayan Riviera

Tulum, The Original Maya Riviera

TULUM, Mexico — There are many Maya civilization sites on the Yucatan Peninsula, but none has a more beautiful location than Tulum, not far from Cancun.

Chichicastengo market fruit and vegetables wide-angle

Market Day in Chichicastenango

CHICHICASTENANGO, Guatemala – Chichicastenango is a town where buying and selling is everything. Its markets are reputed to be the largest in Central America; the range of wares on offer is truly impressive. And the indigenous Maya culture adds a distinct local flavor to the town.

Children playing in Antigua, Guatemala

The Town that Defied God and the Government

ANTIGUA, Guatemala — If God and the government had their way, Antigua wouldn’t exist. But it’s a good thing it does. With charming Spanish colonial architecture, cobblestone streets, and a vibrant cultural life, it’s a wonderful place to visit.

Catedral Metropolitana on Parque Central in Guatemala City

Guatemala City’s Zona 1

GUATEMALA CITY, Guatemala — Guatemala City isn’t a popular tourist destination, in large part because of the scourge of violent crime, but there are some things worth seeing in this otherwise crowded and poverty-stricken city.

Sunset at Zihuatanejo panorama

Zihuatanejo, a Gem on Mexico’s Pacific Coast

ZIHUATANEJO, Mexico – Zihuatanejo is a small fishing village on Mexico’s Pacific coast that’s just bursting with local flavor. From the beautiful scenery, laid-back and welcoming locals, and ultra-fresh seafood, it’s a great place to be.

Zihuatanejo Fish Market

Zihuatanejo’s Fish Market

ZIHUATANEJO, Mexico — There’s much to love about Zihuatanejo on Mexico’s Pacific coast, and the beach fish market is one of the town’s gems.

El Castillo at Chichen Itza

Chichen Itza’s Maya Ruins

CHICHEN ITZA, Mexico – Chichen Itza is one of the most famous, most impressive, and most visited of the Mayan ruins sites on Mexico’s Yucatan Peninsula.